Box and checklist Techniques - Part 3 (Extended Writing) (Review)

Before you start writing:

1. Make sure you understand what the task is about. Note (if necessary)
2. Decide if your review will be mainly positive or negative.
3. Identify the key ideas from the task. (key ideas that are required to include in the review)
4. Think about what your opinion is and how you will use the notes provided.
5. Organise according to the required points.
6. Identify and use some good words/phrases appropriately.
7. Identify and used accurate registers according to the task appropriately.
Plan your review (I C E)
Paragraph 1 – Introduction
1. Introduce the restaurant/shop/CD/etc that you are going to review and indicate whether your
opinion of it is positive or negative.
2. Get the readers’ attention by including an interesting fact or relating the topic to their own lives.
Suggested phrases: If you’re looking for…, they you can’t beat…/If you want…, then give…. a
miss!/Try…/Why not try…/If you like…/…is worth a try
Write your Paragraph 1 here: 1. Include the main idea
based on the question.
2. Include linkers
(and/or/because/ etc) and
cohesive devices
(moreover/furthermore/
however/besides/though etc)

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Paragraph 2: key idea 1 = (Content 1)
1. Describe what you are reviewing.
2. Give the readers and idea of what you are writing about.
3. Give further details about what you are reviewing
4. Expand on your ideas based on the key ideas stated in the task, supporting them with examples
and using adjectives and adverbs to describe the place or thing you are reviewing and don’t forget to
justify your opinion.
5. Include factual information as well as your opinion but avoiding writing long lists.
6. Show the strength of your opinion and mention anything unusual that is different than other things
related to the topic you are reviewing.
7. Make sure the paragraph starts by writing a key idea (main point).
Suggested phrases:
First of all,…/Firstly…/To start with…
Secondly…/Then there is…/Furthermore, …
It’s extremely/really/very…
The…is/are rather/quite
so + adjective + noun that…
a…variety/choice/selection/range of…
For example, …/For instance, …/One example of this, …/In this case, …
By the way, …/That doesn’t mean that, …/On the other hand, …
Write your Paragraph 2 here: Include linkers
(and/or/because/ etc) and
cohesive devices
(moreover/furthermore/
however/besides/though etc)

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Paragraph 3: key idea 2 = (Content 2)
2. Expand on your ideas based on the key ideas stated in the task, supporting them with examples
and using adjectives and adverbs to describe the place or thing you are reviewing and don’t forget to
justify your opinion.
3. Include factual information as well as your opinion but avoiding writing long lists.
4. Show the strength of your opinion and mention anything unusual that is different than other things
related to the topic you are reviewing.
5. Make sure the paragraph starts by writing a key idea (main point).
Suggested phrases:
Secondly…/Then there is…/Furthermore, …
It’s extremely/really/very…
The…is/are rather/quite
so + adjective + noun that…
a…variety/choice/selection/range of…
Write your Paragraph 3 here: Include linkers
(and/or/because/ etc) and
cohesive devices
(moreover/furthermore/
however/besides/though etc)
*don’t repeat the same
cohesive devices.

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Paragraph 4: key idea 3 = (Content 3)
2. Expand on your ideas based on the key ideas stated in the task, supporting them with examples
and using adjectives and adverbs to describe the place or thing you are reviewing and don’t forget to
justify your opinion.
3. Include factual information as well as your opinion but avoiding writing long lists.
4. Show the strength of your opinion and mention anything unusual that is different than other things
related to the topic you are reviewing.
5. Make sure the paragraph starts by writing a key idea (main point).
Suggested phrases:
Then there is…/Furthermore, …
It’s extremely/really/very…
The…is/are rather/quite
so + adjective + noun that…
a…variety/choice/selection/range of…
Write your Paragraph 4 here: Include linkers
(and/or/because/ etc) and
cohesive devices
(moreover/furthermore/
however/besides/though etc)
*don’t repeat the same
cohesive devices.

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Paragraph 5 – Ending
Give your recommendation and say who the place or thing you have reviewed is suitable or
unsuitable for.
Suggested phrases: I highly recommend…/It’s well worth a visit./You mustn’t miss…/Don’t miss…/I
don’t recommend…/I wouldn’t bother…/…is (un)suitable for…/I…wouldn’t enjoy…/It’s perfect/ideal
for…/I wouldn’t recommend…/…should not be missed.
Write your Paragraph 5 here: Include linkers
(and/or/because/ etc) and
cohesive devices
(moreover/furthermore/
however/besides/though etc)
*don’t repeat the same
cohesive devices.

When you have finished writing, check that: f. you have used appropriate informal language.
a. you have followed your plan. g. you used grammatically correct forms.
b. you have included important details. h. you have checked for spelling and punctuation
c. you have applied useful adjectives and mistakes.
adverbs. i. your writing style is suitable for the reader.
d. each paragraph starts with a main idea. j. you have used appropriate linking words.
e. you have supported your ideas with example. k. you have used appropriate cohesive devices.

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